Vitamin B12 is important for the normal functioning of the brain and nervous system and for the formation of blood. It is involved in the metabolism of every cell of the body, especially affecting the DNA synthesis and regulation but also fatty acid synthesis and energy production. Its effects are still not completely known.
Cyanocobalamin is the most stable and widely used form of vitamin B12. It is bound to plasma proteins and stored in the liver. Vitamin B12 is excreted in the bile and undergoes some enterohepatic recycling. Absorbed vitamin B12 is transported via specific B12 binding proteins, transcobalamin I and II, to the various tissues. The liver is the main organ for vitamin B12 storage.
Vitamin B12 deficiency can potentially cause severe and irreversible damage, especially to the brain and nervous system. Oral tablets containing vitamin B12 have been developed to treat vitamin B12 deficiency. However, many patients with vitamin B12 deficiency do not respond to oral vitamin B12 treatment. There is a need to develop a treatment for these patients.